Top half protected half unprotected with HIV pox individual. On PeP now.

[Sand206]

Hi all, as I don't have much time I'll jump right to the point. A week ago I met up with an individual who insist know was positive (he later told me that he was and that he's on Atripla, and his viral load is 25). He gave me oral, and I dipped into him for like less than 10 seconds, after I pulled out I grabbed some sanitizer and cleaned my penis, then I proceeded to get a condom and we did it, at the moment of ejaculation I took off the condom and ejaculated in him. After I pulled out I again used hand sanitizer to clean my penis again.

I also washed my or is with soap and water afterwards,

I went to the ER freaking out less than 24hrs after he told me he was positive and I got on PeP but I am scared out of mind. I do know that there's some side effects associated with PeP, but I am freaking out because I seem to be experiencing every single symptom associated with HIV!

The HIV specialist told me that I was at a low exposure risk because there were no open lesions, and the viral load of the other individual is low, but at the same time I am freaking out of my mind! It's been 8 days since  the exposure, I am very very stressed out and scared! Please help!

What's my risk?

[Andy Velez]

Sand, you started PEP within the recommended boundary of time. The track record of PEP in preventing transmission of HIV when begun in time is very good. The risk for the insertive partner is lower than it is for the receptive partner. And we're talking about a single incident, which also is in your favor to test negative.

You can test initially at 6 weeks after completing the 28 day PEP regimen. If you get a negative result the likelihood is that you will test conclusively negative at 3 months.

You need to learn from this experience. Everytime you have anal intercourse the insertive partner must be wearing a condom throughout the intercourse and not just part of the time. No exceptions.

The odds are in your favor that you will come out of this ok this time, but avoid this kind of risky behavior in the future.

[Sand206]

Thanks for Your quick reply. I really appreciate it.
Maybe I am psyching myself out and going into google way too much? I keep seeing symptoms on my body. I'm very stressed or about it. I also keep reading about how pep is not 100 percent effective.

Maybe I need to calm down, but it still worries me! Why do they recommend testing 6 weeks after finishing up PeP?

[Joe K]

Thanks for Your quick reply. I really appreciate it.
Maybe I am psyching myself out and going into google way too much? I keep seeing symptoms on my body. I'm very stressed or about it. I also keep reading about how pep is not 100 percent effective.

Maybe I need to calm down, but it still worries me! Why do they recommend testing 6 weeks after finishing up PeP?

Testing guidelines are to test at 6 weeks past any incident and then at 12 weeks to confirm the results.  PEP extends that time until testing, so that you need to test at 6 weeks AFTER you complete PEP to get accurate results.  As Andy said, PEP has an excellent track record and you need to find a way to occupy your mind, until you can test.

We see it all the time, stress and anxiety over possible risks manifest themselves in physical symptoms that people mistake for signs of HIV infection.  Take your PEP as directed and then test.  I expect you will come out of this fine.

Joe

[Sand206]

Thanks so mc for your replies. At this point I can't help but only worry about the situation, and it's very stressful. Every little thing that's happening to my body freaks me out and it makes me think the worst. I am very very scared. I just can't help but think the worst of the situation at the moment. I'm trying to concentrate on some other things but the more I read on the internet about possible failure of the mess, or possible infections make me think about it even more.

[Andy Velez]

Sand, you started PEP within the recommended boundary of time. The track record of PEP in preventing transmission of HIV when begun in time is very good. The risk for the insertive partner is lower than it is for the receptive partner. And we're talking about a single incident, which also is in your favor to test negative.

You can test initially at 6 weeks after completing the 28 day PEP regimen. If you get a negative result the likelihood is that you will test conclusively negative at 3 months.

You need to learn from this experience. Everytime you have anal intercourse the insertive partner must be wearing a condom throughout the intercourse and not just part of the time. No exceptions.

The odds are in your favor that you will come out of this ok this time, but avoid this kind of risky behavior in the future.

Fears and doubts are not facts. I'm still expecting you will test negative. 

[Sand206]

Thank you, I am deeply scared. Further question, do the symptoms for a possible HIV  infection come in all at once? Or do they come sporadically, I feel like I experience a different symptom every day, lately i feel like my lymph nodes are about to pop out, I keep rubbing them and it hurts! I keep constantly checking my temperature as well, yesterday I wasndoingnit almost every hour. I keep getting a 97.7-98.6 range.

I am just so very scared, beyond scared really, every time I think about it my heart rate goes thru the roof, and not to mention this morning I woke up and I kept being cold almost as if I had the chills, please help!

[Sand206]

Not to mention I feel very stressed out. I don't think I've ever been so stressed out, scared, and have a feeling of guilt ever in my life 

[Joe K]

Please stop touching your lymph nodes as that is why they hurt.  They are not meant to be poked or rubbed, so leave them alone.  They swell on occasion and that means they are working as designed.  Your risk was low and you should expect that when you test, after completing PEP, that your result will be negative.

What you must do is to complete your PEP and then test at the appropriate time.  Until the time you can test, find something to keep yourself busy.  There is nothing more that we can do for you and I fully expect your test result to be negative.

Joe

[Sand206]

It's been now 4 weeks since I finished PeP. My HIV specialist ordered blood work two weeks after I finished the treatment, why would that be? Anyway she told me that I was HIV negative, and that my next blood work would be on Aug. 1st 2015 for a confirmatory negative. I was a little confused as to why they would test at 2 weeks after finishing PeP. Anyway, about a week ago I started having some throat issues (mainly sore) and post nasal drip, which I think lead to me having throat issues, my throat felt uncomfortable for a few days. Took ginger tea, felt better!
I started also checking my temperature because I kept on thinking that I had a fever, so far it's been nothing Higher than 98.8 really. Should I be concerned, also I noticed that at the bottom of my sternocleodomastoid muscle on the neck  I have a slight elevation, is this where lymph nodes are located?
Needless to say, I am freaky the fuck out, am I sero converting? Would an antibody test at this point show antibodies for HIV?

[Joe K]

You will need to ask your doctor why she ordered the tests 2 weeks after completing PEP.  Guidelines are to test at 6 weeks AFTER PEP and then at 3 months to confirm the result.  At this point you need to wait for the results and go from there.  I fully expect you to test negative.

Joe

[Sand206]

it is now 6 weeks since I finished PeP. I was not able to contact my doctor regarding why she did a 2 week blood work instead of 6 weeks. I took it upon myself and decided to do a rapid INSTI antibody test.1 dot means negative and two dots mean positive. It was negative, so that means that no antibodies were found. Can I rely on that test for a 6 week test?

[Joe K]

You can rely on your 6 week negative result, but you will still need to test at 12 weeks to confirm the results.  It is very unlikely that your negative result will change at the 12 week mark, as PEP has an excellent record at preventing infections.

Joe

[Sand206]

thanks for your help thru this process! I really appreciate it! One more question, I am at the 11th week now, I did an antibody test and it came back negative; next Saturday I'll be going for the final blood work, and they'll tell me if I am poz or neg. quick question though, this morning I woke up, and I felt a tingling sensation on the side of my body, I looked and it was a little red with some bumps like as though the capillaries were a little irritated, it scared me and I read about shingles, is there any correlation between shingles and seroconversion? Am I just freaking myself out at this point? I mean I've tested Neg for the past 11 weeks so could my result change?  Any info would help!

[Jeff G]

Your 11 week test is not going to change, a 6 week negative test rarely ever changes so you have beat this already at 11 weeks and should fully expect a negative result when you confirm it at 13 weeks ... which is just a formality at this point. We do not discuss symptoms but I will say whatever is going on has nothing to do with HIV so go see a doctor if you sick.